The Australian National University is considered a Commonwealth Agency under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The EPBC Act is the primary piece of legislation for the management of heritage places under the ownership or control of a Commonwealth agency. The Australian Government Department of the Environment administers the EPBC Act.

The act also provides a set of Commonwealth Heritage Management Principles. The principles aims to guide the way places should be managed in order to protect heritage values for future generations. These principles are the basis of Heritage Management Plans, and are the guide for the management of a heritage place in the absence of a management plan.

The Act requires any Commonwealth Agency to develop a Heritage Strategy outlining the management of its heritage places and their values. To support this document, ANU also developed a Heritage Management Manual, this document outlines in further detail the day to day management of ANU places and their heritage values. ANU is in the process of updating its Heritage Strategy.

ANU is also required to identify and assess the heritage values of heritage places under its ownership or control. ANU has undertaken an identification and assessment program for its Acton Campus, resulting in the development of its two volume Heritage Study. ANU will continue to implement this program across its other campuses.